beginner needs help w/ h2o change

[insertfishhere]

this is the advice i got a while ago:
1) Turn off filters, pumps, ph, proteinskim, so you don't burn anything up
2) Take out 20% of the water
3) Discard old water
4) Mix up a fresh batch of SW in a new/clean 5 gal. plastic bucket to the desired specific gravity using hydrometer, or refractometer to measure.
5) Pour water slowly into tank until desired water level is achieved.
6) Startup equipment
i have two questions about this:
1. In his step one, he also means heater, right?
2. In his step two, how can i take out the water? i know you can syphon (im not sure if thats how you spell it). but can you just take a bucket and "scoop" it out?
thanks

 

[benj420]

Originally posted by INSERTfishHERE
i have two questions about this:
1. In his step one, he also means heater, right?
2. In his step two, how can i take out the water? i know you can syphon (im not sure if thats how you spell it). but can you just take a bucket and "scoop" it out?
thanks [/B]
Yes, turn off the heater too, unless it is a submersible heater and will remain fully under water even after you take out the 20%.
You can take out the water just about any way you want to. Some people like the syphon (yes, you spelled it correctly) because they can "vaccuum" the sand at the same time.
One thing I like to do is to bring the new water up to temperature with a heater before putting it in. I have a spare 5 gallon bucket with a heater and powerhead in it just for mixing up fresh water. put water in bucket, turn both heater and powerhead on, add salt. Let them stir and heat until the salt is dissolved and the heater goes off telling you it is up to temp or use a thermometer (testing salinity along the way). It's roughly 3/8ths of a cup of salt per gallon, so for five gallons I use 1.5 cups and then nudge it up from there.
It's not too hard. I also keep a towel over my shoulder because wet arms and spills are almost unavoidable.
Good luck.

 

[ntvflgirl]

Just an afterthought to Benj420's excellent advice ...try to make sure the ph is comparable to the ph in your tank as well.
HTH

 

[benj420]

Just an afterthought to Benj420's excellent advice
Thanks ntvflgirl, that's the nicest thing anyone said about me today. Good point about the pH. I usually use Instant Ocean which has pH buffers that keep mine at a steady 8.2, so I tend to forget about that part. I've never needed to adjust pH, but if I did, how would I do it? I know how to do it in my koi pond, but that's a different animal all together.

 

[entice59]

so is there anything different INSERTfishHERE has to do if he is using regualr tap water?

 

[benj420]

Yes, use water conditioner. I use Marine Care Plus from Tropical Science. It's a two part solution and you put 1/4 teaspoon per 5 gallons of water. It removes chlorine and chloramine, detoxifies ammonia, add trace elements, and has other benefits.

 

[insertfishhere]

hey guys.. thanks again..
i use t he pH buffer too..
well thanks again for the advice

 

[memnoch]

All of this has been good advice up until the point of using tap water and "water conditioners." If you use tap water you will inevitably have phosphate problems which facilitate diatom blooms. I would at a minimum use distilled water to make your saltwater. Preferably find a source for Reverse Osmosis/De-ionized water. Personally I use a bucket for water changes. My particular setup has a built-in wet dry that I no longer use that happens to contain 10% of total water volume so I just empty water until the power head starts to spray a few bubbles. Then in goes the new saltwater. If you have a sump I would also recommend adding the water into the sump itself to avoid stressing inhabitants.

 

[javatech]

I try to make up my saltwater the day before in a 10 gal tub dropin a powerhead and a heater and the next day it's good to go

 

[maryc137]

I mix mine in a 32 gallon garbage can. Using RO water, I use a spare Rio pump for 1 day before adding salt and then I let the pump run for another day or 2. I also have a spare heater that stays in the garbage can the whole time. After siphoning out 25 gallons from the main tank (I have a mark on the tank so I know how much) I then attach a piece of hose to the Rio pump in the garbage can and pump it straight into the sump. Turn the return pump in the sump back on at the same time, and it works out great.

 

[ntvflgirl]

Yes, Please, please, please, don't use tap water. You will have major headaches in the near future if you do. You can go to walmart and get their "drinking water", not spring water, for about 53 cents per gallon. They also sell it at the little water "kiosk" which is usually behind the cashiers in the front of the store. Look on the label, it will say "reverse osmosis". But actually, your lfs should sell it for about 35 cents per gallon. The only drawback is you have to have your own container. No reason not to use good quality water. It's the mainstay of our systems. Do yourself a big favor...don't use tap water.
HTH

 

[mg1197]

make sure if you use a bucket that it is clean and has NEVER been used for any other purpose. I made a silly mistake early on in syponing with a piece of tubing that was LAYING around my house. In the process, water accidently backed up back into the tank. I was lucky in that the hose turned out to be relatively clean and no harm was done. But it did give me temporary heart failure!!!!

 

[rsd]

Would also recommend not using tap water. I bought a DI unit and am very happy. Does need buffering for evaporation loss but it's all good.
If you don't like shutting your system down try this.
As you syphon off your tank water into a 5 gal bucket... I also syphon INTO my tank from a 5 gal bucket of NEW water that has been mixed in a 20 gal tupperware container. I also use the same size tubing on both syphons. I syphon out of the tank to a bucket, and syphon new water into the sump from another bucket... minimal exchange of new water leaving right away. If you don't have a sump then use opposite sides of the tank.
Also since you are drawing water out the same time as you are putting new in your may want to do a 15% change instead of a 10% incase you are sucking more of the "new" water out than you thought.
My corals never even notice I'm doing a change. Nobody reacts at all.
Keep in mind to watch you buckets. The water leaving your tank is under more pressure and may fill your bucket quicker than the other one empties... no problem for your tank, only for your floor.
Good luck.

 

[danrw84]

i have a powerhead rigged up to a hose...put it in the tank, pump out 5 gallons into a bucket, empty the bucket. fill the bucket with new water. put the pump in the bucket and pump it back up
finished in 5 minutes
no mixing. i get filtered ocean water from the scripps aquarium instutute.